Turkey & Quinoa Soup

If you anticipate having lots of leftover turkey this Thanksgiving and are already trying to plan ahead, you may want to add this recipe to your list!

It's really easy to prepare!  It only takes about 30 minutes from start to finish, and since the turkey has already been cooked, you're basically just throwing a bunch of ingredients together and heating them up!  You can prep the rest of the ingredients while you're waiting for the quinoa to cook, and in no time you'll be digging in to a hearty, thick and creamy bowl of this yummy soup.



Today's Playlist

• "The Air Near My Fingers"...The White Stripes
• "Scar Tissue"...Red Hot Chili Peppers
• "Everlong"...Foo Fighters
• "I'm Not Okay"...My Chemical Romance
• "American Idiot"...Green Day
• "Ain't No Rest For The Wicked"...Cage The Elephant

Turkey & Quinoa Soup
Printable Recipe

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained
• 8 cups chicken broth or stock
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 2 carrots, grated
• 2 celery ribs, diced
• 3 to 4 cups turkey, shredded or cut into bite-sized pieces
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup light cream
• 1 cup milk
• salt and pepper, to taste

fresh parsley, for garnish

Gather your ingredients.  Place the quinoa into a mesh strainer and rinse--there is a bitter coating to the quinoa which easily rinses off.

Bring the broth and quinoa to a boil in a large (6 to 8 quart) saucepan over high heat.

Prep the remaining ingredients as you wait for the quinoa to boil.  Chop the thyme, parsley, and celery.  Shred the carrots and turkey.

Add the garlic powder, onion powder and thyme to the broth.

Stir in the carrots and celery.

When it comes to a rolling boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover (stirring occasionally) for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, you can see that the quinoa has cooked and expanded.

Stir in the turkey, cover, and lower the heat as low as possible.  Stir occasionally as you prepare the roux/cream mixture.

To make the roux:  Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.

When the butter has melted, whisk in the flour.

It should be thick and pasty and bubbly around the edges.

Slowly whisk in the cream, then the milk, until fully incorporated and thickened.

Slowly stir the cream mixture into the broth/quinoa.  Adjust the heat just to a boil, then reduce and simmer for 5 minutes.

 Sprinkle with the chopped parsley before serving.

Enjoy!